Who Makes this Dress?

[sunshine14]

Hey everyone!

My best friend is getting married and went to try on dresses yesterday. She tried this dress on and really liked it, but the saleslady wouldn''t tell her who made it until she agreed to buy it!! I just think that is ridiculous...but that is besides the point.

Her family lives quite far away, and can''t be there to help her decide, so she wanted to see if she could find more pictures of it online, so I was hoping someone here recognized the dress!

It''s funny, because I''ve actually seen it before when shopping for another friend of mine, and thought it would be a great dress for my best friend!

Any help would be great! Thanks!

 

[sunshine14]

And here''s the back:

 

[aussiegirl23]

Sunshine,

This sounds REALLY suspicious to me -- I don't know much about clothing or wedding dresses, but this is just STUPID... maybe best to look elsewhere? What are they going to do next? Say 'oops, we won't tell you the full price until you give us your credit card number?'

Aussie : p

ETA: or at least it pushes MY buttons... I feel vulnerable enough trying on those silly things... that would make me very uncomfortable!

 

[sunshine14]

Date: 2/23/2007 5:01:21 PM
Author: aussiegirl23
Sunshine,

This sounds REALLY suspicious to me -- I don''t know much about clothing or wedding dresses, but this is just STUPID... maybe best to look elsewhere? What are they going to do next? Say ''oops, we won''t tell you the full price until you give us your credit card number?''

Aussie : p

ETA: or at least it pushes MY buttons... I feel vulnerable enough trying on those silly things... that would make me very uncomfortable!

I KNOW!! That is part of the reason I want to find out...because if she loves it she can find out who else sells it! I have literally been to 2 stores in Toronto (last time I visited) that sold it...so its not like it is a special design in that only the store she went to sells it! Where I get concerned is if they up the price or something.

Anyways...I have a feeling the all knowing p''scopers will be able to help!!

 

[Gypsy]

Price range would help narrow it down...

ETA; You know if you look on the tag... the materials tag... the one they can't pull out. There is a number on them (I had a shop do this to me, and this is how I found the gown) and you can track the gown down by that number. It's like a 7-8 digit #.

 

[aussiegirl23]

Gypsy, is this typical?

Is it so they ensure they''ll get the sale? this just makes me DREAD my two appointments tomorrow...

Aussie : p

 

[San Diego Bride]

is it this watters dress? it''s beautiful!

http://www.watters.com/product.php?coll=brides&showid=580

hopefully the link will work. it''s style 9040B.

 

[sunshine14]

Date: 2/23/2007 5:33:00 PM
Author: novia

is it this watters dress? it''s beautiful!

http://www.watters.com/product.php?coll=brides&showid=580

hopefully the link will work. it''s style 9040B.

It certainly looks like it doesn''t it!

Thanks Novia!! I''ll send the info to my friend right away! Woo hoo!

 

[musey]

Date: 2/23/2007 5:33:00 PM
Author: novia


is it this watters dress? it''s beautiful!


http://www.watters.com/product.php?coll=brides&showid=580


hopefully the link will work. it''s style 9040B.

The sleuthing skills of the BWW members NEVER cease to amaze me!!

Sunshine, that dress is just BEAUTIFUL! I love the lace and especially the subtlety of the green. I''m saving the pictures for future dress ideas

(my mom''s making mine so it will be a conglomeration of ideas I like!!)

 

[Gypsy]

Date: 2/23/2007 5:21:58 PM
Author: aussiegirl23
Gypsy, is this typical?

Is it so they ensure they'll get the sale? this just makes me DREAD my two appointments tomorrow...

Aussie : p

It happens. But I found a very easy way to avoid it. When I called Bridal Shops, I told them upfront that if they cut the tags out of dresses and refuse to tell me designers... or indulged in other shady practices I would be wasting my time and theirs. The ones who had the policy told me upfront not to waste my time... and I didn't. The ones that assured me they'd never do that... I visited.

The best way to deal with bridal shops is to be blunt.

Here's what I'd do. First I'd ask them about the above policies. Then I'd explain thati'd had bad experiences at other shops and was not interested in wasting my time. Most understood and were very nice about that.
Then I'd ask the price of the gown I was interested. Asked what was included int he price (alterations, if any). Wanted to know their price FIRST. So that I could figure out if they were reasonable or not.
Then told them that I wanted to visit at a quiet time... so that I wouldn't be rushed.
Also told them my FI was coming along, and that I expected him to be made comfortable.

Most were okay with all of. You are the customer. You are buying a very special and emotional item. And a very expensive one. If they don't understand and cater to that... they don't deserve your business.

I have no patience for bad customer service in the bridal industry. Its rampant, its frankly, unprofessional. And it's not something I believe in encouraging.

*steps off soap box*

ETA: THe one shop that DID do the tag thing. I called afteward, told them I had figured out who the designer was. Told them I thought their sales person was very nice and their price was good for the gown. But told them that they had lost my business because of that stupid policy.

 

[JCJD]

I was going to guess Casablanca, but novia has found it I think! Beautiful!

RE cutting tags out of dresses: I''ve *heard* that the reason some shops do this is to prevent brides from going to their store, taking their salespeoples'' time and attention, and then finding the gown online or having a replica made by someone else and wasting the salon''s time and money without actually making a purchase. Not my idea of good sales policy...

 

[sunshine14]

I had no idea that this was semi-common practice. I''ve heard of no pictures at some salons, but no knowing the designer? That is pretty bad...I would do the same thing as mentioned above...not buy from a store like that just on principle!

Thanks for everyone''s help (especially Novia of course!)

 

[San Diego Bride]

glad to help, sunshine!

it was actually my first "find" here. ebree is the master.

i wanted a classic, elegant silhoutte for my dress so i looked at a lot of watters pictures. i love their designs and showed several pictures of theirs to my mom who made my dress.

 

[fatafelice]

I''m glad someone was able to find it! That is a beautiful dress and looks great on your friend.

Unfortunately, I think this kind of practice is all too common. The only local salon I went to -- and one that Gypsy is also familiar with -- does this. To make it worse, they actually LIED to me and told me that the dress was "part of a special collection" from another designer, and that is why I wouldn''t see it on that designer''s website. I wasn''t too interested in the dress anyway, but lo and behold, the next weekend I was looking though a bridal mag and there it was. Not only a different designer than they had told me, but listed about $600 dollars less than the salon had priced it.

I think a lot of the smaller shops are having a really difficult time dealing with losing business to the web retailers out there and other sources where brides can easily find the same dress for less. But that doesn''t excuse that kind of behavior. Perhaps if these dresses were not way overpriced to begin with, they wouldn''t have to resort to such measures. Regardless, had I been in love with the dress, I may have considered paying a little more because I like patronizing local vendors and they *seemed* to have excellent customer service. But after finding out they flat out lied to me...Now I tell everyone I know not to go there, and why.

 

[Scooba]

that is illegal for them to do that and you should report and let them know that you are reporting them, this is so wrong and brides need to stop falling for it

http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/wedgown.htm